If your child requires classroom accommodations, try these tips
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Early childhood intervention helps children achieve their fullest potential. For many children with special needs, this can include an individualized education program (IEP) and other approaches.
We recently spoke with Eileen Radigan, Nazareth University program director and assistant professor for undergraduate inclusive early childhood and childhood education.
Q: How can families with special needs children prepare for the school year?
A: When working with school district, families are best prepared to engage if they prepare ahead of the IEP meeting. Connect with the service coordinator to provide input on the recent levels portion of the IEP. It’s the basis for many of the other decisions in the IEP. Having parent input in that section can help the parent to have more influence over other portions. I don’t think families always know that.
Q: Do families get to see the IEP before the meeting?
A: Families can request to see it ahead of time before the IEP meeting. They make it sound like that’s where it’s written but usually there’s a draft developed by the professionals and when the family arrives, they talk through it, give input and it’s finalized and the family signs off. If they request it ahead of time, they can think through it and go into the meeting more prepared and make recommendations and ask questions.
Q: How do families make recommendations?
A: They prepare a really brief and direct rational for each accommodation. It’s difficult to say no if there is a really strong reason why someone is requesting it. The rationale needs to be to the point. The IEP meeting is really short and we can get lost in the details. Focus on explicit, direct rationale as to why they’re requesting each accommodation. If there are supports they’d like to be turned into an official accommodation, use examples of how it has helped and in what way. For example, if a teacher provided a set of closed notes and there are some blanks. That has worked well for the child if they’re not able to capture all of the notes, but they are able to capture key information. Some teachers just do that and if a parent realizes it helps, they could ask for the teachers to provide that.
Q: What should the parents’ demeanor be when they attend the IEP meeting?
A: Try to remain focused on the forward progression of the child. Sometimes we get caught up on criticizing the professionals and when we do that it closes down the conversation. If we establish common ground that we’re all here to help this child and stay focused in that area, it can be helpful. Sometimes it can become about which party is not doing what they need to be doing and it should be focused on the kid. Conflict resolution and that common ground is important and foundational. A set of educational professionals and teachers should be helping the child.
Q: Is the child involved at all?
A: Whenever possible, get input directly from the child, whether the family or teachers do that. If possible, invite the child to the meeting. There are sometimes reasons that doesn’t happen like age, communication, attention or it is somewhat a contentious meeting and they don’t want the child to witness conflict. Generally speaking, it’s really good for their self-advocacy. When a child says, ‘This is what I need’ it provides a strong rationale.